The DOI matches its Crossref record; 63 of the 63 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Depression, Anxiety, and Other Mental Disorders in Patients With Cancer in Low- and Lower-Middle–Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Open accessAbstract
PURPOSE: Cancer is a growing public health issue in low- and lower-middle–income countries (LLMICs), but the mental health consequences in this setting have not been well-characterized. We aimed to systematically evaluate the available literature on the prevalence, associates, and treatment of mental disorders in patients with cancer in LLMICs. METHODS: We systematically searched Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and CINAHL. We performed a random effects meta-analysis to determine the pooled prevalence of major depression or anxiety disorders in this population, defined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or International Classification of Diseases criteria. We qualitatively reviewed studies that examined the prevalence of depressive or anxiety disorders defined by self-report tools, the prevalence of other mental disorders, associated factors of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and the treatment of mental disorders in this population. RESULTS: Forty studies spanning a 15-year period were included in the review. The pooled prevalence defined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or International Classification of Diseases criteria was 21% for major depression (95% CI, 15 to 28) and 18% for anxiety disorders (95% CI, 8 to 30). Depressive and anxiety symptoms were most frequently associated with advanced disease and low levels of education. Among the four studies evaluating treatment, three evaluated the effectiveness of psychotherapy and one evaluated a yoga program. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients with cancer generally appears higher in LLMICs than in upper-income countries. Our findings demonstrate the existence of a significant and underappreciated disease burden. We suggest that clinicians remain vigilant to psychiatric symptoms. Improved screening and treatment are likely to improve quality of life and reduce both morbidity and mortality.
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“Depression and anxiety are more common in female PWC.3,8-11”
From Mindfulness and Psychosocial Symptoms in People with Cancer: Testing Rumination and Experiential Avoidance as Mediators, and Sex as a Moderator. (2025) · cites this paper as [8]
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“The meta-analysis, including over 9,000 PLWC from low-and middle-income countries, reported a prevalence of interview-confirmed anxiety disorders of 18% (Walker et al. 2021).”
From Psychosocial and Integrative Oncology: Interventions Across the Disease Trajectory. (2023) · cites this paper as Walker et al. 2021
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“Another meta-analysis of 40 studies conducted in 15 low-and middle-income countries spanning the regions of East Asia and Pacific, South Asia, Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa reported a pooled prevalence of 21% for major depression (Walker et al. 2021).”
From Psychosocial and Integrative Oncology: Interventions Across the Disease Trajectory. (2023) · cites this paper as Walker et al. 2021
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Items 101–103 of 103
Hassan, J., Dankar, M. J., Azri, Z. A., Maskari, S. A., Senaidi, T. A., Maqbali, A. A., & Abri, B. A. (2026) · Supportive Care in Cancer · doi:10.1007/s00520-026-11191-y
A cross-sectional global policy analysis of the human gap in 156 national cancer strategy plans
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Mapping peer-support programs in French oncology hospitals: A mixed-method study
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Metadata
- Authors
- Walker, Z. J., Xue, S., Jones, M. P., & Ravindran, A. V.
- Affiliations
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CA)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Ravindran, Arun V.
- Venue
- JCO Global Oncology
- Published
- 2021-12
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1233-1250
- ISSN
- 2687-8941 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC8457869
- OpenAlex
- W3192811719
- Cited by
- 103
- References
- 59
- Citations by year
- 2026: 18 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 1
- FWCI
- 2.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by
- Locations
- JCO Global Oncology (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Keywords
- cancer, depression, anxiety disorders, mental illness, low- and lower-middle-income countries, prevalence, risk factors, advanced disease, educational attainment, psychotherapy, yoga, mental health screening, mental health services
- MeSH terms
- Anxiety, Anxiety Disorders, Depression, Major Depressive Disorder, Developing Countries, Humans, Neoplasms, Quality of Life
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